TOKYO, January 26. /TASS/. Japan plans to speed up cooperation with Russia in various areas, including on the North Korean missile and nuclear issues, the country’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday.

"We plan to expand cooperation with Russia in various sectors, first of all regarding the North Korean issue and bilateral exchanges, for example, (as part of the cross-) Year (of culture) between Russia and Japan," he said.

According to PM, Tokyo also plans to continue consultations with Moscow regarding joint economic activities on the Kuril Islands and simplified trips for its former inhabitants. "We will continue vigorous talks with Russia for solving the issue of the four islands and reaching a peace treaty," Abe stressed.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe put forward an eight-point cooperation plan to develop the relations with Russia during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on May 6, 2016. The plan includes efforts to foster relations between Japan and Russia in the energy sector, small and medium-sized businesses, the promotion of industrialization of the Far East, expansion of the export base, as well as the proposal to strengthen cooperation in the cutting-edge technologies, including nuclear energy, and the sphere of humanitarian exchanges. Later 30 priority projects for cooperation were defined.

On September 7, 2017 following a meeting with Abe, Putin said that the two counties’ foreign ministries had selected a number of promising projects ready for implementation, including in the field of aquaculture, wind energy, greenhouse business, waste recycling and package tours. The two sides consider joint economic activities to be a step towards making a peace treaty. Meanwhile, Japanese analysts have said that Tokyo and Moscow have different views regarding implementation of those projects. Russia proposes to do it within the limits of the Russian legislation, while Japan suggests that a certain ‘special system’ should be established on those territories.